From my interview with Gidon Kremer in 1999 I remember three sentences: « I think I always went new ways ». – « I think I have enough humor to say I’m probably serious. » – Yes, you’re right, I have very little time to live – and I actually love life, I love it in all its diversity. » These three sentences also sum up very well Paul Smaczny’s film about Gidon Kremer, certainly one of the most unconventional and exciting musicians of our time.

Pizzicato

Mieczysław Weinberg composed his 24 Preludes for the violoncello. Gidon Kremer transcribed them for the violin. His playing outstandingly shows the depth of feelings and the technical richness of these pieces together with his genuine admiration for this composer.

Pizzicato

In this All-Ravel program, Riccardo Chailly lets the masterfully orchestrated music develop with great naturalness and serenity. His high-class musicians play with bright orchestral colours.

Pizzicato

One must imperatively have heard Zhu Xiao-Mei play the Goldberg Variations: it’s as simple as that!

Le Figaro

Director Tatjana Gürbaca and designer Klaus Grünberg have transformed Massenet’s Masterpiece into a compelling drama that glues you to the edge of your seat from start to finish. [..] Juan Diego Flórez gives the performance of his career as a hero who knows that death is where passion is fulfilled.

BBC Music Magazine, “Opera Choice” July 2018

Michael Barenboim’s second album focusses on solo violin music from three centuries of Italian art. The extremely demanding program is not a problem for a violinist as outstanding as Michael Barenboim. He succeeds in penetrating the various pieces to perfection.

Pizzicato

Riccardo Chailly accentuates the dramatic character of Mahler’s Eight’s Symphony without neglecting the more emotional aspects in the second part. The performance is gripping from the first to the last bar, with choral singing of great fervour and a rich and detailed orchestral sound.

Pizzicato

Both Lutosławski performances are terrific and electrifying in a strikingly balanced, very spacious sound provided by Accentus.

ICMA Jury

Due to a strikingly perfect balance and a spacious sound this is for sure one of the best concerto recordings I ever heard.

Pizzicato

This impressive performance of Berg’s ‘Wozzeck’ from the Zurich Opera is a reference recording. The musical aspect is simply outstanding, with an incomparable Christian Gerhaher in the title role and charismatic conducting from Fabio Luisi. The remarkably detailed staging is no less inspiring, and the video recording is excellent, too. A production of terrific intensity and concentration.

ICMA Jury

A perfect musical marriage.

BBC Music Magazine

Mercifully, and unusually these days, director Günter Atteln’s approach is cool, focused and un-tricksy, illuminating the subject without pointless and mannered stylistic distractions.

BBC Music Magazine

,Satiesfictions’, der für WDR und Arte produzierte Film von Anne- Kathrin Peitz und Youlian Tabakov, nähert sich dem Phänomen nicht mit analytischer Erklärhaltung, sondern mit den Mitteln des Mediums: filmisch raffiniert, bilderstark inszeniert. Das ist immer wieder umwerfend komisch-befreiend, obwohl eine traurige Persönlichkeit aufscheint, ein Mann meist am Rande grässlicher Armut. [..] Splendide!

Stuttgarter Zeitung

Special Mention for Extraordinary Artistic Achievement – Golden Prague 2013
Best Documentary – Mumbai International Film Festival 2014
Official Selection at International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) 2014
Official Selection at Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels (FIPA) 2014
Nominated for Grimme-Preis 2015

Barbara Hannigan. known to be a specialist for contemporary music, is heard and seen here in a varied program that she is able to perform masterfully, both as a singer and a conductor.

Pizzicato

While the discourse intensifies and the texture becomes opaque over time, the pianist preserves this inner light. In doing so, she establishes a wonderful proximity between  the listener and the composer, therefore making it accessible and poetic, which is very rare.

Classica, Choc de l’année 2014

Paul Smaczny’s film is from start to finish a ‘Tombeau de Monsieur Abbado’, a hymn of praise addressed to the late maestro – with (Isabelle) Faust and (Wolfram) Christ as  principal protagonists, the spirit of the event is preserved. This well-nigh devout homage scarcely leaves room for critical judgment.

Diapason d’Or Arte

Listening and marvelling is really the only option.

Gramophone

It is the kind of experience that has you sitting afterwards, for a long time, wondering at the greatness of what you have just heard – and seen.

BBC Music Magazine